Sunday 25 May 2014

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Paul Howarth as the next Managing Director of the NNL. Paul will succeed Mike Lawrence as MD on Mike’s retirement at the end of 2010. 

Paul is currently Director of Science, Technology & Project Delivery with NNL (on secondment from the University of Manchester). He is an experienced leader of large nuclear research and development organisations covering industrial, academic and national laboratory environments with internationally-recognised expertise across the nuclear fuel cycle.  Before joining NNL, his recent experience included Executive Director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester (2006-2008), Programme Director for Advanced Reactor Research with BNFL (2002 – 2006), and Head of Technology at Berkeley labs (2001-2). Paul was in the process of transferring to Battelle as part of his current NNL role and he will complete that transition as he assumes the MD’s responsibilities. He will also maintain his visiting professorial appointment at the University of Manchester.

We are confident that Paul will provide the leadership to take NNL forward, working with the Executive team and all staff, with the support of the NNL Ltd Board and the Serco-Battelle-Manchester (SBM) partnership, to cement NNL’s role as a critical part of the nuclear infrastructure within the UK. 

Mike Lawrence formally retires as MD on 31st December 2010. Paul will work alongside him in the meantime to effect a smooth transition before formally assuming the responsibility as MD on 1st January 2011. We would like to reiterate our thanks to Mike for the huge contribution he has made to NNL and wish him a long and happy retirement with his wife Cindy and their family.